[Ecls-list] ECL_FOREIGN_DATA_P(), ecl_foreign_data_pointer_safe(), etc

[Matthew Mondor]

On Tue, 2 Oct 2012 15:40:01 +0200
Juan Jose Garcia-Ripoll <juanjose.garciaripoll at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 1:14 PM, Matthew Mondor <mm_lists at pulsar-zone.net>wrote:
> 
> > I noticed many calls to ecl_to_pointer() expanding to
> > ecl_foreign_data_pointer_safe() calls even with (optimize (safety 0)).
> > But interestingly in cmp/sysfun.lsp, I saw the following line:
> >
> > (def-inline si:foreign-data-p :always (t) :bool
> > "@0;ECL_FOREIGN_DATA_P(#0)")
> >
> 
> Note the "-p". This is a type predicate, which only checks whether a lisp
> object contains a pointer or not.
> 
> ecl_to_pointer() is a C macro and expands to the *_safe version internally.
> C compilation is not conditioned by lisp proclamations.
> 
> I also noticed that my DECLAIM to inline the accessor functions do not
> > appear to work, so there also always are function calls made to
> > access/set structure fields no matter the SPEED/SAFETY level.  This is
> > not terrible, although if such small functions could be inlined it'd be
> > nice.  Since the inline declamations appeared to work in other contexts
> > for small functions, I wondered if perhaps it's a limitation of
> > functions using C-INLINE.
> 
> 
> The thing is that ECL does not keep code across compilations and not even
> in compiled images. This means that the INLINE declaration is not useful
> right now outside the same file (but even then, I am not sure when it is
> active. I would have to look it up)

I now remember that I think it was on a FLET that I had used DECLARE
with INLINE, and since that is lexical it might be easier.  But I seem
to think that I also observed it working with a DECLAIM, I'd have to
retest.  The tests I did for the accessor functions were in the same
file with DECLAIM.

> >  I also thought about perhaps generating small C functions with the inline
> > directive via CLINES instead of using C-INLINE too, which could be another
> > approach (I'd also have to check how to get those to register CL symbols
> > and be ECL friendly then).
> 
> 
> When I really want to inline something portably I use compiler macros.
> DEFINE-COMPILER-MACRO allows you to define more precisely the expansion you
> want and is the mechanism used by ECL's optimizer right now.

I'll look into it, thanks.  I admit I've not used them although I
remember reading about them.  I had the impression (or bad memory) that
it could only really be useful for constant substitution.
-- 
Matt